Richland District 1: Columbia HS Lags in Exit Exam Scores

Results were mixed for Richland School District 1 students on the S.C. exit exam.

The district's seven high schools lagged behind the state as a whole, with 84.4 percent of passing the English portion and 78.3 percent passing the mathematics portion on the first try in 2012.

At A.C. Flora High School, 91.7 percent passed English/ language arts and 86.6 passed mathematics. Nearly 300 students took the test for the first time in 2012.

At C.A. Johnson High School, 70.7 percent passed English/ language arts and 61.6 passed mathematics. More than 100 students took the test.

At , 71.3 percent passed English and 73.4 percent passed mathematics. More than 200 students took the test.

At Dreher High School, 76 percent passed English and 84.5 percent passed mathematics. More than 300 students took the test.

At Eau Claire High School, 71.3 percent passed English and 69.8 percent passed mathematics. Nearly 170 students took the test.

At Keenan High School, 88.3 percent passed English and 76.6 percent passed mathematics. More than 170 students took the test.

At Lower Richland High School, 87.4 percent passed English and 79.5 percent passed mathematics. Nearly 300 students took the test.

Statewide, 80.1 percent of the more than 50,000 students taking the test passed both sections on the first attempt. Nearly 90 percent passed the English/ language arts section. More than 82 percent passed the mathematics portion.

Scores increased in mathematics for every student subgroup except one, but the scores for English-Language Arts declined in every student subgroup.

“English and mathematics are the foundational subjects in education. ... Students must master skills in both subjects to be successful in their lives
after high school. To improve in both areas will require a personalized and customized education in grades K-8 so students are prepared for rigorous high school courses," said State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais in a prepared release.

High school students in South Carolina take the exit exam for the first time in the spring semester of their second year. Students cannot graduate high school in South Carolina without passing the exam.